ARCATA — Cal State Stanislaus made the most of its five hits, earning a 6-1 win over Cal State San Bernardino in the opening game of the California Collegiate Athletic Association Softball Championships on Thursday.

The victory sends the No. 2 seeded Warriors (28-21) into Friday's 1 p.m. game, where they'll face the winner of Thursday's Cal State Monterey Bay vs. Humboldt State game. In the double-elimination format, the CSUSB Coyotes (32-39) remain alive, and will take on the loser of the CSUMB-HSU game at 10:30 a.m. Friday.

In Thursday's opener, Cal State Stanislaus starting pitcher Jessica Gaumnitz limited the Coyoes to two hits, including Jacquelyn Holtzclaw's home run, striking out four without giving up a walk to improve her record to 15-7. Jennifer Arnold relieved Gaumnitz in the seventh to close out the game.

"(Jessica) was outstanding. San Bernardino can hit and this is a hitter's park," Cal State Stanislaus head coach Jan Schefkowitz. "She pitched well and only made one mistake pitch. I am pleased."

Alicia Reid's one-out double keyed the Warriors' second inning, scoring Jennifer Arnold and Alyssa Guzman, who had reached on a walk and fielder's choice. San Bernardino got a run back in the top of the third on Holtzclaw's solo homer, but CSU Stanislaus' Megan Franksen belted a two-run shot in the top of the fourth to reestablish a comfortable cushion.

"It was a good confidence builder for her, she had a good at bat before that and is going up there with the right approach," Schefkowitz said of Franksen's home run.

Cal State Stanislaus closed out the scoring with a two-run fourth inning. Two walks and two wild pitches surrendered by a pair of CSUSB pitchers proved costly, the first run coming home on Britney Borba's sacrifice fly, and the second on Kimiko Wright's single.

"This was the best job all year of going with the pitches and the intensity was there in the get-go," Schefkowitz said.


Cal State Stanislaus 6, CSU San Bernardino 1 (May 01, 2008 at Arcata, Calif.)
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CSU San Bernardino.. 001 000 0 -  1  3  0      (32-39-1)
Cal State Stanislaus 022 200 0 -  6  5  0      (28-21)
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Pitchers: CSU San Bernardino - LEE, Cassidy; JACOB, Jackie(3); BAKER, Tawni(4).
Cal State Stanislaus - GAUMNITZ, Jessica; ARNOLD, Jennifer(7).
Win-GAUMNITZ, Jessica(15-7)  Loss-LEE, Cassidy(7-8)  T-1:45  A-68
HR CSUSB - HOLTZCLAW, Jacquelyn.
HR CSUS - FRANKSEN, Meghan.
Weather: Sunny and Breezy
LEE faced 2 batters in the 3rd.
JACOB faced 1 batter in the 4th.